The Things We Do For Others
by Akiboshi
Summary: Alfred has to do some odd jobs in order to get through life with his brother Matthew. Sometimes he just wishes that he could explore the forest that's rumored to be the home of wolf like beasts. His brother feels the same way, but they soon learn the hard way that 'curiosity killed the cat'. Human names used. RussiaxAmerica PrussiaxCanada
1. Chapter 1

At the first ray of the sun, my eyes shot open as it hit me from its early rise. I quickly got up then scanned the area from a small window. Even though it was still early, there were already many people up and going around doing their business.

This made me smile widely as I dressed in my usual attire, but silently enough so my brother wouldn't wake up. I secured my knife and gun at my belt then quietly slipped through the door after taking one last look at my little brother, Matthew. From there, I left our hideout while watching out for guards or anyone else.

When the coast was clear, I quickly headed near the outskirts of town and into a local farm. There, I went to the stables and was met with a warm, familiar face.

"Well good morning Alfred."

"Hey Antonio! Is Silver-"

"All ready to go."

I smiled at this then mounted onto my favorite horse, Silver.

"Thanks Antonio, I'll be sure to pay you back when I get back!"

"No need at all mi amigo!"

He waved at me as Silver leaped tremendously above the stable gates and then into the forest with her hooves pounding the earth below.

"Hyah!"

With a strike of the reins, Silver sped up as we now headed for a much more larger town than the one I lived in. As soon as the sun was zenith, the markets are already going to be busy so I had to be there before all the good items are gone.

Along the way I picked up some berries both poison and not before putting them in my pouch. You may never know when you're gonna need them, especially if you're around someone you don't really like. After walking halfway through the forest, I let Silver rest for a drink of water as I wandered off with my hood over my head.

When I came across a large tree, I stopped and looked for anyone close by then went through a small, hidden tunnel deep within the bushes near the tree. I easily avoided all the thorns and then stood up at the other end, dusting leaves off my clothes.

This was my secret place. It was a small meadow surrounded by thick trees that could only be entered by the tunnel. Here, I could be truly calm and at peace. I sighed and then held up my hood as I looked around the bushes for a dark green leaf. Once I found one, I plucked it from its stem then sat down.

I inhaled a bit of air as I placed the leaf slightly bent at my mouth before blowing into it to create a soft note. The noise seems to echo around the area as I continued the song with my eyes closed. The music lulled me into a peacefully calm state.

After the song came to an end, I opened my eyes and stood up. I went out the way I got in then hopped back on Silver. In a few minutes, we got to the town that looked more like a bit city to me. The area wasn't too crowded so my smile stayed on my lips as I got off of Silver. Along the streets, I went to a large shack and smiled at the young lady there.

"Hello their Alfred, it's good to see you."

"Right back at ya Elizabeth. Can I have the usual?"

"Already done."

I smiled at how well things were going so far as I took the bag full of goodies from the brown haired girl. After I paid her, she held me back a while just when I was about to leave.

"Alfred, there's been some cases of people going missing and most of them were said to be taken away into the forest. Try to avoid the forest as much as you can alright?"

Elizabeth smiled at me a little then waved as I packed the items in the sac attached to Silver's saddle and made sure it was secure. In the corner of my eye I saw a fight start to brew even when it was so early in the morning.

I was going to leave but I didn't. My eyes narrowed at the figure who was standing tall and proud as if he owned the place. The smirk on his face remained where it was while he stared down at a guy. His red eyes seemed rather unhuman since it gave off a weird aura.

He opened his mouth and was apparently complaining of how the guy should look where he was going and not bump into him. I clenched my fist and took a step forward but before I could do anything, they were gone.

I helped the boy on the ground to his feet and asked if he was alright. The guy nodded and seems to have a distant look in his eyes. I shook his shoulders a bit and in response he rubbed his eyes.

"Sorry, I'm not really used to waking up this early."

He voice was dripped with sleepiness and I sympathetically smiled at him.

"You'll get used to it eventually. If I might ask, did you know who that person was a few minutes?"

He shook his head in response.

"Alright, be careful now."

We both waved goodbye to each other as we went our separate ways. I rode back through a forest but stopped by at another farm that was like a sister to the one Antonio was at.

"Oh great, looks like the hero bastard is already here."

"Hi to you too Lovino."

Said guy simply scowled at me as he went back to combing one of the horse's hair. Another guy that looked strikingly similar to Lovino came by and took hold of the reins to Silver as he lead her to a roomy stall.

"Ve~ Good morning Alfred!"

"Yea, you too Feliciano."

I got off my horse and I took a bite out of the apple I got from the sac. When he looked into the sac his smiled widened at me.

"Hey you know this is more than we asked for. You should be bringing it back to Matthew."

"You provided more than enough for us. This is just a little token of our appreciation to you and Lovino. Besides, we can take care of ourselves now. I know we're still young but we can handle whatever life throws at us. Even if we were in trouble, as the hero, I will always save the day!"

"Ve~ You're so nice!"

I smiled and then finished up my apple before tossing it to the trash pile.

"So do you need any help or know anyone that may want it?"

He thought about it while carrying a full bucket of water to one of the horses and placed it on a strong hook.

"I think Big Brother Francis could use a hand or two."

"Alright, thanks Feliciano! You too Lovino."

Lovino grunted in response as Feliciano smiled. I waved at the two of them as I started to make my way out of the local farm.

"You sure you don't want to take a horse with you?"

"The next town isn't that far, so don't worry. Also, I'll be back by noon the latest if Matthew ask."

After a goodbye, I headed down the narrow path to my next destination. My belt held the berries in one pouch, money in the next, my knife at one handle, and then my gun.

I wish I could have a day where I didn't have to worry about work. A day off sounds nice too but right now, I wanted freedom. I jumped up and grabbed a hold of a thick branch before pulling myself up on it. There I had a good view of the tremendous city of Gower.

This place was one of the best marketing wise as people all over the world come here to trade and hope to make a profit. I landed back down on the grass then swiftly blend myself in the crowd without making eye contact with anybody.

With the sun fully in the sky, the place was as crowded as it could get which meant that everyone was busy doing there business. I spotted the flower shop then quickly entered the door that sounded a bell.

"Welcome to- Oh good morning Alfred."

"Hey Francis. Anything I can do today?"

Said man was pulling his hair up in a ponytail while looking around the shop.

"Well you can hop over the counter and get the orchids watered."

"Alright."

I pulled my hood off and hopped over the counter then went into the back. This was where all different types of flowers grow. Although the shop seemed small in the front, the back makes up for its size. After I watered almost half of the orchids, I heard Francis's voice call out to me.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember the orchid you planted last week?"

I turned my head around to look at him and saw a orchid in a potted plant sprouting from the ground.

"Look at how far it's come."

He handed the pot to me with care and I smiled widely at the young flower. A month ago, I begged Francis to let me plant my own orchid with some money that I saved up. Now, my beautiful creation is starting to grow out of its seed.

"It still has a many more weeks to go but it made some progress."

I nodded and smiled wider.

"Thanks Francis, Matthew's gonna love this!"

"Yeah no problem. Oh right, you need to do some deliveries for me since I got a ton today."

He grabbed my wrist and dragged me away from my orchid I placed on the counter.

"But the orch-"

"I'll deal with it so don't worry so much."

I decided it was best not to say much more so I hopped over the counter again and took the bag of flowers he prepared. To my surprise, it was much more heavier than it usually is.

"Alright, I'm off to work now sir!"

"Bye and be careful now."

The door was opened and caused the bell to ring slightly. I turned my head around and I saw a girl with long blonde hair.

"Welcome to my flower shop, how may I help you today mi amor?"

I blinked out my trance and smiled at the girl before heading out the door. Looking at my list, it appeared that this day was going to be a long one. After a deep sigh, I stared up at the sky then smiled.

"Here I go!"

TIME SKIP

"Thanks so much for the flowers, you're right on time."

"No problem dude! Please come by to our store when you need our service!"

He smiled a bit then closed the door. I looked at my list and sighed in relief when I saw that I was done. It was amazing that the shop was doing good even though it was nearing winter.

I looked up at the sky while making my way back at the flower shop. There were a few stray clouds in the sky today like usual then I notice of the townspeople. Each and everyday it seemed like the same. People were out doing the usual routine of trading or buying supplies for their everyday lives.

Everyone was so busy with their personal business that it seems if someone were to die, no one would really notice. To me, that seemed too cruel but once I think about it, it's true.

I wished something interesting would happen in this town. Maybe an exciting competition, event or maybe even a festival in order to bring some fun into this sad atmosphere.

Alas, there was nothing I can do but hope. The only thing that were news around these areas were politics and the events that occur deep in the forest. Besides the warning Elizabeth gave me earlier, there were other cases of missing people as well as strange deaths.

In my mind, it could just be robbers that prey on those who were clueless to there presence, but the rumors are starting to become more and more radical. This did make me want to explore the forest as the curious person I was, but so far my odd jobs have kept me busy. Plus, Matthew would never let me go beyond the area I'm allowed to venture into.

"There's that guy again."

"How can he have the guts to show his face around here."

I blinked at a sudden conversation I overhead and turned my head to the side to see two old ladies whispering to one another while looking at a blonde man with caterpillar eyebrows. My eyes studied the figure as he observed some fruits and saw nothing wrong with him.

"I heard that they found books with strange symbols in his room."

"As do I! Not only that but he also tried to turn the duke's daughter into a toad because of her fortune."

One of the ladies visibly shivered after she said that but then continued on in a low whisper that I almost didn't catch.

"Someone has to report that warlock to the authority before he curses us all!"

They both looked back at the 'warlock' then fled when he glanced back at them. His gaze was left at that direction for a while before they traveled to myself. I blinked once and then titled my head to the side since he looked rather harmless for a warlock.

He gave me a knowing smile before turning around and heading off the opposite direction with graceful strides. I couldn't believe the accusations those people ave to that guy considering how calm and gentle he looked. However, their was a chance that what they were saying is true.

A deep sigh left my lips as I continued my journey back to the shop while trying to clear out the thoughts going through my head. To much thinking tends to wear me out faster for some reason, so I try to go with the flow before things get complicated.

"I'm telling you guys, I wasn't just seeing things!"

I stopped in my tracks and looked to the side to see a guy talking to a few other people at a nearby stall. One of the guys laughed and then patted the other man's back.

"Maybe you've been out in the sun for too long and mistaken a bar for whatever beast you're babbling about."

The man trembled when the guy said that then groaned.

"I'm serious though! I was attacked by a huge beast like wolf while I was at the forest!"

His friends sighed again then tried reasoning with him. I got bored of the conversation afterwards so I left the area without stopping since Francis might have something else for me to do. In less than ten minutes, I made my way into the flower shop, making the bell go off as I opened the door.

"Mon ami, back already?"

"Yup, you got anything else for me to do man?"

The blonde haired man nodded and held out a bouquet of sunflowers for me to see.

"Do you remember that girl who came in before you left? She wanted this delivered to a friend of hers."

I looked at it and smiled at how breathtaking it was.

"Just leave it to me!"

Before I could take the flower out of his hands, he stepped back a little with a pensive expression.

"I don't know if I should send you on this one since it's to somewhere in the forest today. There's been some bad rumors about the forest lately and I wouldn't want Matthew or Antonio to kill me for sending you to your death."

This made me chuckle a bit.

"What, you don't think I can take care of myself? Besides, don't you think the rumors are just ways for people to gossip about."

He looked down for a bit then sighed as he handed me the flowers and the directions to the place.

"Alright, but just be careful alright? If you can then come back here so I know you're alive."

I carefully placed the flower in my basket then saluted him.

"You can count on me!"

We said our farewells then I went back out into the open and decided to go straight to Lovino and Feliciano. It only took a few minutes until I reached their place to see Lovino tending to the horses again.

"Hey, I need to take Silver now."

"Are finally gonna leave?"

I shook my head as Lovino saddled up my horse.

"Francis has one more deliver and judging by this map he gave me, it's rather far into the forest."

This made him jump a little.

"The forest? Why would the place be there? From the rumors, I doubt anyone would live in the forest."

I sighed a little.

"Not you too. I would have thought you were the last of all people to believe in those rumors. Besides, what's so bad about the forest anyway? I've been through there constantly and haven't seen this so called 'devil' or 'monsters' the puritans keep spouting about."

He shook his head in disapproval.

"I'm only saying all of this as precautions. Plus, I'd rather you not go or else Feliciano will start bawling his eyes out when you die. Plus, you should be happy that you haven't experienced the things that come out in that place."

"Well I'm sill going whether you like it or not cause I'm not gonna let the girl down. Now either hand over Silver, or I walk in the forest."

Lovino look conflicted for a moment and he opened his mouth then closed it a few times. Finally, he saddled up Silver and led her out of the barn. I followed until we reached the entrance.

"Promise me you'll be careful for Feliciano's sake."

He looked into my eyes and I smiled.

"I promise. Really, you're not my mom so you shouldn't be worrying so much. However, I do appreciate the concern."

Lovino grunted in response and then handed me the reins to Silver. I quickly hopped on my horse. Once I was ready, I waved at him before taking off into the woods. In all honesty I kind of wished that something would happened when I'm here. It'd be nice to see something new but of course I could only hope.


	2. Chapter 2

As I rode through the forest, I made sure to check that the sunflowers were in good shape every once and a while. They looked beautiful and I was going to make sure that the person who receives this gets it in that condition. When we were coming up to a cross path, I stopped and looked at the map Francis gave me.

I turned my head to the side as I moved the piece of paper around to read it. At the shop I thought the map was readable, but when I looked closer at it, that was a lie. Francis's handwriting was so fancy that I couldn't read one word of it. Even the rough drawing in the back was horrible.

"Man Francis, why would you do this to me?"

After a while, I gave up and placed the piece of paper back into my bag. I looked left, then right before turning back to my horse.

"Well, where do you think we should go Silver?"

She turned her head to the side as if to look at me then nodded her head toward the left.

"Alright! I trust your judgement so let's go!"

I turned the reins to the left and let Silver galloped to the left. At that point, the ride went smooth but as I ventured deeper into the forest, I started to get worried. The path I was once on seem to vanish as well as my sense of direction. All the trees look the same and I didn't know how to get back.

Even after all those times I've been in and out of this place, I could still get lost. When I tried reaching into my mind for distinct memories to be my guide, nothing helped. In a few minutes, I felt that I've been going around in circles all day. My mind was starting to ache and I wanted to go back to Matthew.

When we reached a pond, I let Silver rest and take a drink as I examined Francis's map again. It seems that the path I usually take to get from the first town to Feliciano's farm was the one I had to take. That part I got right for sure.

From that on, I was actually supposed to go right at the first cross path and then follow it from there. A sigh left my lips and wonder how I wasn't able to figure this out before when I was at the crossroad the first time. Also, it seems like I couldn't trust Silver whenever I needed to pick which direction to go to.

I took a good look around me and then back at the map. Thankfully, at the very edge of the paper, I could see a sadly drawn oval that was labeled 'pond'. In my head, I started praying this pond was the one that was on the map.

Once I thought that Silver had her share of water, I climbed on and reread the map to make sure I was gonna go the right way. In a few minutes, I nodded firmly and rode through the trees while putting my faith on this map.

When I looked back to the sky, it seems that the sun was going to set soon. Soon after, I felt my tummy grumbled.

"Yea yea, I'll feed you."

I patted my tummy a bit then reached over to the sac and took out a piece of bread to eat. After a while I even grabbed a carrot for Silver which she gladly ate. We soon had our fill and happily made it back to the original crossroad. Or that's what I was hoping.

We were back on the road but for all I know, this could lead me to another town that I've never been to before. A sigh left my lips as I let Silver go right and follow it from then on. When I looked around, there were no animals in sight.

The birds weren't out and singing their usual song. But then again, it was nearly winter and it should be the time to stock up before the snow kicks in. I held back an involuntary shudder when a cold autumn wind passed us. Warm weather always appealed to me more than cold one. This time of year usually brought sadness to my family.

A frown formed on my lips when distant memories flashed through my mind but I decided to ignore it like I always did. Now was not the time to be grieving of the past. Especially when I'm on a delivery as important as this.

As time passed, the sky was getting darker and I was wondering if this path was gonna get me anywhere at all. I've been on this thing for what feels like hours and I haven't seen any other signs of life.

"Argh, this better not be a wild goose chase from Francis or I'll..urgh."

Another sigh left my lips and I took the time to look at the sunflower bouquet again. They were a bit ruffled but still looked stunning. When I thought about the girl that walked into the store earlier, she looked rather pretty. It made me wonder if these were for her boyfriend.

"_Better hurry up on this delivery._"

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Silver suddenly came to a stop. When I looked up, I was met with a somewhat large cottage. My eyes went back to the map that Francis gave me then to the brown building surrounded by thick trees.

With a shrug, I got off of Silver and petted her head for a job well done to get me here. Hopefully this was the right place but then again, who other sane person would decide to live in the forest if there were terrible creatures here. I held the bouquet in my hand and then approached the front door.

When I was standing a feet away from it, I firmly knocked on the door and was surprise when it creaked open. I looked left then right before pushing the door open slowly. Inside, it was slightly dark since there was no light so I relied on the slight ray of sun I had left.

I could distinctly see a sofa in front of a fire place while another area had a table and chair. My mind told me to just leave the bouquet at the front door but I thought that would be rude. So without anything better left to do, I cautiously went in and then scanned the area again.

The place looked like it was uninhabited and I was starting to think that this may seriously be a joke. If it was then I was going to resell them in order to get Matthew some of the maple syrup he loved. When I took another step into what I thought was the dining room, I noticed a piece of paper on the table.

Without thinking, I took the piece of paper and flipped it over. Only two words were written on it.

"_Turn around."_

A sudden chill went down my spin and I felt that someone or rather _something _was watching me. I slowly turned around and then immediately I froze. Five or six feet away, I could see the outline of a large wolf that was almost as tall as me. What stood out the most was its violet eyes peering at me. It seems like those people that were talking about large beasts weren't lying.

At first I was rather excited to see such a cool animal in front of me then I felt fear mix in with it. The beast didn't growl at me but we simply stared at each other for the time being. It was almost as if it was observing me and wondering why I was here.

When I took one step to the side, the wolf snarled at me and immediately went into what seems like an offensive stance. My body finally broke through the trance and dropped the flower and paper before rushing to the door. From the corner of my eye I could see the beast quickly react to this and jump at me. I leaped into the air to barely dodge its claw and roll out the door. I scrambled to my feet and ran as fast as I could toward Silver.

She didn't seem to notice me or the wolf that was most definitely behind me at first so I yelled. Silver looked up at me then turned around to start to galloping away. I ran faster and somehow managed to climb onto the saddle in time. However, as soon as I was able to get on, my horse neighed loudly and then tumbled down. I was flung a few feet away from her and I hit the floor with a loud thud.

Another neigh caught my attention, and I looked up to see the white beast gnawing on one of Silver's legs. A normal person would probably leave the horse for dead and run, but I grew up with Silver since she was a colt. That horse was practically family and I wasn't going to lose her when it didn't seem to be her time. Besides, a true hero would never run from the face of danger.

A small wave of anger flew over me when the beast bit harder and I immediately tackled the wolf at full speed and force to knock it away. When I had a good grip on him, I flung the animal as far as my strength would take him then checked on my horse. For some reason, I had more physical strength than a normal person since childhood since I played with bulls.

The wound on Silver's leg seemed deep and I didn't bring any medical supplies to disinfect the wound. I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard a large snarl. The beasts looked at me with his violet eyes and snarled louder as if to gain my attention. My eyes narrowed at him and I walked away from my horse to focus on the wolf.

I let my hand grip the hilt of my gun as the animal crouched lower to the ground. In my mind, I felt like I had some chance to win this battle but I _was _against a humongous white wolf with razor sharp teeth. His fur looked rather thick so one bullet probably wasn't going to be enough to bring it down. So I decided that it was best to save the gun for last.

Before I was able to even grip my knife, the wolf somehow manage to appear right in front of me. I leaned back and tried to jump out of the way but he still managed to injure my arm. As I ran backwards to evade more attacks, the beasts kept pursuing me. My heart was pounding loudly against my chest and I could tell that my nervousness was affecting my movements.

The few seconds I was on both my feet, they were visibly trembling from the adrenaline rushing through my body. I couldn't think straight so I wasn't able to properly defend myself in this dangerous situation. Even when I finally had my knife in my hand, the wolf knocked it out of the way and pinned me down. I grab a hold of his muzzle and tried pushing him off but it proved to be difficult.

He kept snarling and inching toward my face whenever he had the chance. However, I wasn't about to let him make a meal out of me, so I brought my right hand up and hit him square across the jaw. I then took the next few seconds the bring both my knees up and throw him to the side. Before I was able to get back on my feet, I felt a searing pain in my leg.

I clawed at the ground then yelled when the pain got worse. When I turned around, I saw that the beast was biting my right leg with no mercy what so ever. His purple eyes looked straight at mine and I felt that he was looking at me with arrogance. That bastard was playing with me!

If he thinks that I was going to let him make a meal out of me that easily then think again. I quickly kicked the side of his face with my other leg even though it was painful to do so. Every movement I made would let his teeth dive deeper into my skin and cause more pain to myself.

At one point of time, the pain was to much and I let myself yell. I clenched my fist and tried to kick him again but he dodged it. When my vision started to get hazy, I heard a firm voice broke through the air.

"Bind!"

A sudden burst of light engulfed the beast and when it disperse, the wolf was held down by golden chains surrounding its body. I slowly crawled away from the scene when I saw that my leg was free and toward Silver. When I was close by, I stopped to catch my breath. At that point, I felt someone pull me into a warm embrace. My vision was still a bit hazy so I wasn't able to distinguish who the person was.

"Transport!"

Instead of the light surrounding the beasts, it was now circling around us. I blinked once and had to close my eyes when the light was to bright for me. When I felt that it was safe, I opened my eyes again and I was greeted with a blurry view of a person with yellow hair. I rubbed my eyes and then felt surprised when my vision cleared to see the person that I saw earlier.

"Woah your eyebrows look humongous up close!"

His left eye immediately twitch at my response and I immediately felt my head hit the floor with a thud.

"Ow, was that really necessary man?"

I rubbed the back of my head and rolled over with a groan. When the pain subsided, I took the time to check my surroundings. It seems that I was in a stable from all the hay and materials lying around. I then, looked back at the guy with caterpillar eyes to see that he was right by Silver and tending to her wounds. I was about to walk over to them when I fell straight back on a stack of hay. Stupid injured leg.

"Stay where you are. I'll be with you in a minute."

I mumbled back incoherent words to him and then did as I was told. With what little strength I had left in my body, I flipped myself over so that I was lying on my back. After a while, the blonde man came back into my view and sat by my side.

"Um, could you tell me what your name is or else I'll end up calling you 'caterpillar eyebrows' all day."

His eye twitched again but it stopped when he let out a sigh.

"My name is Arthur Kirkland and yourself?"

I smiled widely and gave him a thumbs up.

"Name's Alfred F. Jones and I'm the hero! Thanks a bunch for saving me back there, Iggy!"

Arthur immediately hit me upside the head after I said that.

"You idiot, I told you my name is Arthur, not Iggy!"

"Aww, but doesn't Iggy sound cuter?"

Another hit was delivered and I decided to stay quiet for now. In return, Arthur held my injured arm and placed some liquid on it. Upon contact, it quickly stung my body but I held down the urge to move around. I didn't want to make the caterpillar man angrier. Once the wound was disinfected, he neatly bandage my arm then went over to my leg.

"So tell me why in the world you were so deep in the forest today."

"Well, I was doing a delivery but then I got lost at one point of time. It wasn't my fault though, my boss has super fancy handwriting that it's almost impossible to read it. However, being the hero I was, I easily recovered and made it on the right pat- ouch!"

I stood up a little to stare at Arthur and he apologetically waved at me. Somehow it felt that he did that on purpose but I continued my story.

"So then I ended up at this cottage right and since no one would naturally live in these woods, I suspected that it was the right house. When I got in though, I was met with this huge white wolf. And well you know the rest."

I kept my eyes locked on the stable ceiling so that I could distract myself from the familiar stinging sensation.

"Why didn't you run away? If you left your horse for bait then he would have left you alone."

I shrugged a little.

"I guess I'm just stupid like that."

A small chuckle left my lips but then I felt something hit my head. I stood up and saw that Arthur flicked my forehead. I gently rubbed my forehead as he went back to his work.

"Yea you really are an idiot."

I simply smiled and then remembered the situation I was in.

"By the way, how did you know I was there and why did you save me? Wouldn't it be best for you to leave me there so that the wolf wouldn't focus on you?"

He momentarily paused at his actions then continued what he was doing.

"You didn't look at me like everyone else did."

Arthur never took his gaze off of my leg as he bandaged it when he said that. I blinked once and when I was about to ask him another question, he continued talking.

"I'm sure you've heard the gossip about me being a warlock. When I looked at you though, your gaze wasn't prejudice even though I am one."

"Huh, so that's how you were able to do those cool stuff on that beast. Can you teach me how to do that?"

He neatly tied the bandage together then looked at me.

"Are you an idiot? Not anyone can use magic like I can."

I slightly pouted at him and gave him a puppy dog look that I usually showed Matthew when he was angry at me. When Arthur looked like he was about to give in, he turned his head away and stood up.

"Forget it. I'll just take you to your room."

"Um, is it alright if you just transported me back to my house? I don't want my brother to go out during the night to search for me since I'm not home."

He looked to the side and thought about it for a moment before sighing.

"Fine, but your horse stays here. It'll be better for her to recover at my place anyway."

I smiled and immediately stood up to give Arthur a hug. However, I wasn't able to balance myself in time so we ended up on the floor with me on top of him. In response, I chuckled like an idiot while Arthur yelled.

"Get off me you idiot! You weigh a ton!"

"Aw, I love you too Iggy!"

"Quit calling me that or else I'll turn you into a frog!"

"Ow, so mean."


	3. Chapter 3

After I told Arthur to transport us to Antonio's farm, we had some trouble getting me to stand properly. Everytime we fell to the ground, I would laugh while the warlock shouted a stream of curses. It was really funny, so I would purposely make us fall but stopped when he started to notice. Once I was finally able to stand on one leg with Arthur as support, it was time to go.

"I'll see you later alright Silver? Don't miss me too much girl."

I smiled as I waved to my horse and she moved her head up and down as if she understood. A small sniffle escaped me as I looked at her injured foot. For some reason, my eyes started to tear up but maybe it was because Arthur placed too much medicine on my wounds. I made him upset when I asked him about his catepillar eyebrows.

"I'm gonna miss you girl. Be good now. Don't give this guy a hard time alright?"

"It's not like you're never gonna see her again so stop your weeping and long speech already. You'll be able to visit her whenever you want."

Arthur bonked me on the head and I chuckled a bit.

"Right, right. Thanks Iggy you're very kind."

"It's Arthur you git! How many times do I have to say it for you to get it right!"

He hit me again and then started to give me a long lecture. Even though we just met, I felt that we have known each other for a very long time. The townspeople were wrong when they said those cruel things about him. He didn't seem like the kind of person to do such a thing. This just goes to show that people will make up stuff just to pass time.

"Anyway you said your goodbyes with your horse. Close your eyes now so we can go."

I did as I was told without any interruptions or comments.

"Transport."

There was a sudden gust a wind that blew against us and the area felt a bit warmer. After a while, the wind died down and the warmth disappeared. When I thought that everything was alright, I peeked open one of my eyes. I opened both of them when I noticed that we were in front of Antonio's farm.

"Woah, your magic is really awesome. Please teach me your wisdom!"

"Do you have wax in your ears or something? I already told you that not anyone can use magic like I can. Stop asking me all these pointless questions or else I'll keep your horse for real."

"You can't blame a guy for trying."

I resisted the urge to smile. The truth was I already knew the answer to the questions I asked him, but it was just too much fun to see his frustrated expression. Each and everyone one of his angry looks are funny because of the catepillar eyebrows on his face.

"Alfred, is that you?"

My attention switched to Antonio who was now heading towards us. He looked worried probably because of my injured leg. When he was standing face to face with us, he glance at Arthur for a while and then looked at me.

"Que pasa? How did you get that injury? Did Lovi ran over you with Silver or something? Oh speaking of Silver, where is she? Don't tell me you lost her."

"Nah nah, I just got attacked while I was on a delivery. This guy was kind enough to save me and patch me up. He's also taking care of Silver until she gets better."

Antonio titled his head to the side and then smiled his usual smile once he processed the information.

"Sounds like an interesting day you had here. It's a good thing you came now. Matthew was going to start wandering around asking people where you are."

"He's done with work already? Man, I gotta get back now then."

I hoped over to Antonio and leaned on him for support.

"Thanks again for everything Iggy! I'll try and visit you when I can!"

He opened his mouth and was about to say something, but for some reason he didn't. Instead he let out a sigh and simply nodded at me. Arthur placed a piece of paper in my hand as well as a brown bag.

"Drop by when you're feeling better. Be sure not to work until your foot gets better alright? Use the supplies in the bag and change the bandage often."

I nodded and gave him a thumbs up.

"Don't miss me too much before then Iggy!"

His eye twitched at the name and I could see his fists tighten.

"I swear if you keep this up, I'll really turn you into a frog you stupid git!"

With that said he walked angrily away from the farm until we couldn't see his figure anymore. As he did so, I couldn't help but laugh. He was just too funny.

"So, mi amigo, shall we head to your house?"

"Sure!"

After a long time of limping, we made it to where I lived. Matthew was probably looking outside of the window since he came out as soon as we were nearby.

"Alfred, where have you been?"

His quiet voice filled the night air as he walked towards us. When he noticed my injured leg, he gasped.

"What happened?"

"Eh bro, how about we talk inside? It's probably better in their anyway."

He agreed and also helped to get me inside. Once we were situated and comfortable, Antonio left and bid us good night. He was such a nice guy, it's weird that he didn't have a girlfriend or something.

"Now will you tell me about your leg?"

"Oh right. You know how people were talking about those strange creatures that attack people in the forest right?"

Matthew nodded a bit hesitantly.

"Well while I was delivering something, I ended up getting attacked by one. But this kind person named Iggy with catepillar eyebrows saved me. He patched up Silver and I and even gave us a bag of supplies."

I held up said bag to him with a smile but he continued to have a concern look on his face.

"Silver got injured too?"

"Yeah, that beast was a bastard. He attacked her in order to get to me."

I looked down a bit annoyed that I wasn't able to prevent her from getting hurt.

"Well at least you're well and alive now. It could have been worse."

"Hehhh you actually believe me?"

"You wouldn't be kidding around if it was about Silver and there can't be a more logical explanation of your injured leg."

I smiled widely and flomped over to my brother to try hugging him but ended up in his lap. The sudden movement startled him and made his face all flustered.

"Aww you're such an awesome bro! Come here and give me a hug!"

"Alfred! Be quiet, you're disturbing neighbors!"

Even though he was yelling at me, his voice sounded like he was whispering loudly at me. Although we were twins, we had opposite personalities. No matter what I do, I can't stay quiet. My brother on the other hand can't find a way to raise his voice. His quiet nature made people unable to see him most of the times. Sometimes, he was also fragile and easily got sick if he wasn't careful. This has been a problem for him since childhood but I was sure to protect them as the hero.

Without our parents, I being the oldest had to look out for my brother. I forbid him from leaving this town for his own good. There was no way I was going to let him get into harms way. This is why I'm the one that goes out of town to do odd jobs while he stayed and work at Antonio's. It was much safer and he is actually noticed by the spanish, happy go lucky guy.

"Alfred, you should get some rest now. Tomorrow I'll go to Gower town in your place to do your odd jobs."

I quickly sat up from his lap as soon as he said that.

"No! I forbid you from going. Just stay here and work at Antonio's. I'll be good as new by the end of the week."

"By the looks of it, your injury may take a month to heal. Also, we can't just keep relying on Antonio in every difficult situation we're in."

"Dude Matthew I'm fine really. It's not like my bone is broken. It's just sprained that's all."

I tried standing up using the wall as support and almost fell from doing so. Thankfully, I caught myself in time and then stood on both of my feet. I held in a groan of pain as I stand up to show that I was alright.

"See? I can stand. I'll be back out there in no time at all!"

This didn't fool him though so I sighed and sat back down.

"We can get through this week with what we have now so please just continue to work at Antonio's. If you do that then I promise to stay here and rest."

Matthew looked down and thought about it. Once he seemed to know what his decision was, he turned his attention back to me.

"Fine, but you also have to promise me that if you aren't fully recovered by this week, I'm allowed to go to Gower for your odd jobs."

"No!"

"Then I won't continue to work with Antonio this week."

"It's almost winter though and you taking the trip to Gower every day will get you a cold!"

"I don't care! That doesn't matter because you're injured! What can you do with an injured arm and leg!"

We both stared at each other and didn't back down from the other. I gritted my teeth and tried to calm myself down. Even though I know that Matthew was just trying to help, I wasn't about to risk him getting sick at this time of year. If he were to catch someting, we would be in trouble for the winter.

"Fine, I promise. You have to keep your end of the promise too though alright?"

He smiled at me.

"Yes Alfred."

TIME SKIP

I was the first to wake up since I did that everyday to get to Gower before the market rush. When I sat up, I tried to stand up again while being careful not to wake up Matthew. Somehow, I finally manage to stand while leaning on the wall as support. When I placed some pressure on my foot, I winced at the instant pain that surged through my body. I bit my lip and ignored the ache while limping towards the door.

True I promised that I wasn't going to go to Gower, but that didn't mean I couldn't go to Antonio. It was a good thing that my brother was a pretty heavy sleeper. He would have yelled at me if he saw me trying to leave. When I managed to hope over to the farm, I saw that Antonio was awake like I knew he would be.

"Hm? Oh Alfred, good morning. Should you be moving around?"

"I need to get used to this injury so I decided to try exercising."

"Maybe it would be better if you didn't use it. The more you try and walk, the worse the injury might get."

"Yea but this is just a bite from an animal, not a broken bone. Putting on some pressure isn't gonna kill me. Plus, I'm the hero! And the hero can overcome anything!"

To prove my point, I stood on both feet and resisted the urge to cringe from the pain. Antonio saw through me and simply chuckled.

"Whatever you say. Just make sure you don't push yourself. Matthew worries about you everyday while he's here. He wishes that he could work with you on your jobs."

I leaned against a post as Antonio started tending the other horses.

"Yea, but you know how easy it is for him to get hurt. I don't want him to suffer again like that one time. That's why I'm out here right now. It seems that if I can't work by the end of this week, he'll replace me in my jobs."

"He's getting more daring now isn't he?"

"Yeah, my hero self must be getting to him as well."

We both shared a laugh. After some talking, I decided to help Antonio watch over some cats. He usually didn't have these animals, but he was holding them for a friend who was currently visiting someone in another town.

"Alfred, I have to go run a quick errand. Just keep watching those cats for me alright?"

"Okay! You can count on the hero!"

After he left, I started playing with the cats. At one moment, I would be petting and rubbing their ears then the next, all three of them would be licking my face without mercy. It was awesome and I'm glad that cats loved me. For some reason, they don't go well with Matthew so it was a good thing that he wasn't here right now.

While I was being attacked again by the furrballs, I noticed that the orange cat with a brown spot on his forehead was missing. After I limped all over the place looking for him, I saw his vanishing figure disappear into the forest beyond the fence around the barn. Once I placed the other cats in a secure location, I went towards the direction the cat went to.

"Hey! Orange kitty cat where are you? Come out so you can play with the black and gray kitty! They all miss you very much!"

As I ventured deeper into the forest, I started to get tired. After a few more steps, I got tired of limping around so I rested against a tall tree. When I manage to catch my breath, I set off again. Thankfully, I found the orange kitty rolling around the ground while waving his paw at a butterfly.

"Their you are. Don't go off on your own like that."

I scooped him up in my arms and rubbed his orange fur which caused him to purr. When he started scratched the bandage on my arm, I started to scold him.

"Bad kitty, no cat nip for you when we get back."

The cat titled his head to the side then rubbed his head against my neck. Darn it, I couldn't stay mad at animals. They always had a special place in my heart.

"Fine I forgive you, let's just get out of here. It's dangerous to be here anyway."

"That's true yet you still went into the forest again."

The sound of a new voice close by made my body froze. When I turned around, I saw a man with white hair dressed in a gray coat as a white scarf covered his neck. I felt the cat cower deeper into my arms as the man took a few steps forward. He stood a couple of feet away from us and then spoke once more.

"Hello, I usually don't find people in this place when I walk around here, so I'm happy to see someone."

As the man talked, he kept an eerie smile on his face. I felt a weird aura come from him and had the urge to get away. However, doing so when I was injured wasn't an option so I just ignored that thought. He didn't seem to be that bad of a person and it was rude to judge a person when you don't even know them.

"How are your injuries? I hope they don't hurt too much. How did you get them?"

"Hm? Oh I was just attacked. No big deal though, I can handle anything!"

I gave him a thumbs out as well as my trademark hero smile. For some reason, he started to giggle and it sounded odd in my opinion. The kitty patted my arm and started to whine a little.

"You're an interesting fellow. I'm glad that I've met you."

"Could you at least give me your name? It's common courtesy you know."

"Aha, that's right. Forgive me, my name is Ivan, Ivan Branginski."

"Cool last name. Never heard of it around here before. I'm Alfred F. Jones, the hero! Are you a foreigner or something?"

"It's nice to meet you Alfred and yes, I am. I'm glad you didn't run away from me like the others did."

I paused for a moment when he said that.

_"People run away from him?_"

Before I was able to say anything, I heard a ringing noise sweep through the forest. It sounded like a voice singing a high pitch note or a bell. The noise made the kitty cringe and softly shake in my arms. Once the sound disappeared, the kitty calmed.

"Ah unfortunetly, it seems that I have to go now. I'll see you later, Alfred."

"Oh okay then."

Ivan turned away from us and then walked into the forest in the opposite direction. Once he was gone, I started limping back the way I came in. I stopped to rest here and there but manage to return to the farm. When I arrived, Antonio hadn't arrive back yet so I continued to play with the cats.

_"I wonder who that guy was." _


End file.
